Engagement is not satisfaction
Step 1 / 4·Three concepts that get confused
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Learning objectives — after this module you will:
- Distinguish engagement from satisfaction and loyalty
- Know what actually creates engagement
- Calculate the cost of losing an employee
Three concepts that get confused
Understand what engagement really is.
Plenty of organisations measure 'satisfaction' and call it engagement. They're different things, and confusing them leads to the wrong actions.
SATISFACTION is feeling comfortable at work. Someone can be perfectly satisfied because the job is easy, the pay is fine and nobody bothers them — while putting in no extra effort at all. ENGAGEMENT is the emotional commitment that makes people give discretionary effort. LOYALTY is simply staying — which might be engagement, or might be a lack of options.
The most dangerous group
SATISFIED BUT NOT ENGAGED employees are the hardest to spot: they don't complain, don't quit, turn up on time — and do the bare minimum. A satisfaction survey scores this group highly, leaving you to believe everything is fine.
Key takeaway: Satisfaction ≠ engagement ≠ loyalty; the satisfied-but-not-engaged group is the hardest to detect.